So now we get to the nitty gritty of this review, the chassis itself. Simply put, the chassis oozes style. Every inch of the X500 is anodised black and it looks great. Clean, simplistic styling is what the chassis is all about. Everything on the case has a function, and nothing is added just to try and add some bling, apart from a silver line down the front panel, which leads neatly to the silver Lian Li logo. Some may find the style of the chassis to be plain or even boring, but this chassis is able to blend into most settings without standing out like a sore thumb. Looking at the chassis, and its finish, you just know it's going to be a pleasure to work on.

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see from the photos, the 2x 5.25" and 1x 3.25" drive bays are side mounted and you can mount the drives either to the left or the right as the panels are identical on either side. The side of the chassis also features an air intake grille which runs nearly the length of the chassis. These grilles feed the two 120mm fans underneath the front panel. Considering the side panels are all one piece of aluminium, the finish on them is outstanding. Around the drive bays shows only the smallest of gaps, and the cuts are a great example of precision engineering. 

 

 

 

The top panel is just as well finished, with two simple black switches for the reset and power, which tie in with the theme of the case nicely. The peripheral slots are hidden by a lift up cover which is also in keeping with the case styling. There are four USB, one Firewire, and one E-SATA slots, plus the usual audio in/out 3.5mm jacks under the cover.